Knäck (Swedish Toffee)

Whisk together the sugar, syrup, butter and cream in a heavy bottomed 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture forms a firm "hard" ball when dropped into a glass of very cold water. Stir in nuts and divide quickly into very small paper candy cups.

*Swedish light syrup. I buy it at Ikea or stores that sell European and/or Scandinavian ingredients. Golden syrup is an acceptable substitute.

Yield: about 30 candies

My thoughts:

Knäck translates into "crack" which makes sense because this thick toffee is quite crisp and cracks when you bite into it. It is also terribly addictive! It has a almost burnt sugar flavor to it thanks to the syrup and the almonds provide a delicious, nutty crunch. It is the perfect addition to a holiday dessert table.

The candy is easy to make and in small batches like this one (you can double this recipe successfully) it cooks up very quickly. The most difficult part is pouring the mixture into the cups. They are quite small and easily tip over. The liquid is also very, very hot yet cools rapidly so one has to work very quickly to fill the cups before the mixture cools and hardens. I transferred my molten mixture into a large, glass measuring cup with a lip for easy pouring. Take care, you don't want to burn yourself for the sake of candy!

Note: The candy should be made in tiny waxed paper cups. I find mine at Ikea during the wintertime but I've seen similar sized cups at candy supply shops. Any store that sells Swedish cooking and baking items should have them in stock as well. They are about 1/2 the size of a mini muffin liner.